Bitter Sweet Victory
by Batmarcus
Summary: What would happen if Cato won the games? Read and find out. Written for SkyeElf as a prize for the SkyeElf challenge week 7. There is some gore.


**A/N: This is SkyeElf's prize for her victory in week 7 of the SkyeElf challenge. She requested this fic, but I hope you all enjoy it. **

* * *

**Bitter Sweet Victory **

Cato sat in his room, within his new home in the victors village of District 2. Now, normally people were happy upon their return home as a victor of the Hunger games, but not Cato. It was in his opinion bitter sweet to be here without Clove.

True, he had fought hard for his victory and District 12 had very nearly defeated him. He shuddered remembering the end of the games.

* * *

_Flashback _

_Cato had his arm firmly wrapped around lover boys throat. He was very confident he knew if the girl shot him he would take her precious little boyfriend to the next world with him. He noticed lover boy struggling to throw him off, but Cato was much bigger and had nothing to worry about their. However he noticed him draw an X on he unarmored hand. _

_Cato realized what was happening just in time he yanked his arm to the side moving lover boy with him. The girls arrow flew through air and sank straight into lover boy's left eye. _

_BOOM! _

_The cannon blast signaled, what Cato already knew was the end of lover boy. The girl stood in horrified shock, which Cato used to his advantage. He lifted the limp body in his arms and threw it at her. She did not react in time it hit her and she toppled with it over the edge of the Cornucopia. _

_There was several minutes of loud horrified screaming and the finally silence. The cannon went off again and the Mutt's receded. The trumpets went off and the loud booming voice of Claudius Templesmith rang out _

"_Ladies and gentleman here is your victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games Cato!" _

_Flashback Over_

* * *

Cato snapped back to reality. That should have been the happiest moment of his life he had achieved what he had been trained to do practicality since he could walk. Yet, it had not come with that sense of victory. Instead he had felt nothing, but a deep sense of regret, because he had lost Clove.

Clove the the thought of her made his stomach twist with guilt. Cato and Clove had known each other since age three. They had been brought up together, trained together. The year before the games they had begun dating.

All had been well in Cato's life at that point. Then, she had been reaped he was confident she could win. Then of course fate decided to kick him while he was down and he was reaped as well. It had been an awkward few hours after the reaping. Neither of them could say anything as they listened to their mentor's advice.

* * *

_Flashback_

_It had been right before the carriage ride when they had agreed to let the field whittle down to just them before they decided what to do. So they had trained and hard. They scouted their competition and gathered those they felt strongest as allies._

_Then they had been thrown into the arena he and Clove along with their allies had dominated for the most part. Only a few of the more skilled, strong, or agile opponents managed to slip away. They had suffered the first set back when the girl from District 12 had dropped those Tracker Jackers on them all. Submitted to_

_That attack had resulted in a very brief battle with Lover Boy, which Cato had managed to cut him badly before succumbing to the Tracker Jacker poison. _

_He was out for at least two to three days he was not entirely sure. The days after that had passed quickly. District 12 he was sure had managed to blew up their supplies. This had sent Cato into a blind rage where he had killed the District 10 tribute. Marvel had manged to kill the District 11 girl, only to be killed by District 12. _

_Through all this Cato and Clove had managed to ignore the inevitable fact that at some point they would be on their own then they would fight. It was a terrible thought and they were doing whatever they could to avoid thinking about it. _

_Then at the announcement of the possibility of them both going home lifted their spirits so much that Clove had shrieked wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. When they separated she was still smiling widely. _

"_We could both go home!" she said breathlessly. _

"_No, we are both going home." he said pulling her into hug and breathing a sigh of relief. _

_They had been very happy from then especially when the feast was announced. _

"_We can get rid of all the threats in one go." Clove said smiling. _

"_Yeah you take out that Foxfaced girl and 12 I take lover boy and Thresh we win and go home." Cato said smirking._

_Unfortunately fate was not on their side. First the Foxfaced girl escaped and then when Cato had given chase he heard Clove scream. He rushed back in time to see 12 and Thresh escaping in opposite directions. He rushed over Clove and saw the dent in her head. _

"_Clove come on stay with me!" he said tears starting to form in his eyes. Yet he knew it was to late she was already fading she gave him a quick kiss and croaked out _

"_Eleven." and then the cannon blasted and her eyes slid shut. _

_Cato stared at her in shock for moment and then he broke into an animalistic rage, picked up his spear and ran full speed towards the sea of wheat where he knew Thresh was. _

_It took days of tracking through the rain and freezing nights, but he found Thresh in the middle of the field. _

_The fight took Cato and Thresh to levels of brutality never before seen even in the Hunger Games. Thresh used his superior strength slamming Cato's head into a large rock on the ground. Cato was dazed and almost lost there as Thresh raised his sword. _

_As he swung downwards Cato stuck his foot up on instinct and kicked Thresh in the nose. There was a sickening crack and Thresh stumbled. Cato picked the large rock up above his head and brought it down with all the force he could on Thres' head. _

_The rock shattered in Cato's hands with a loud sickening crunch. Thresh was bleeding heavily from the skull on his knee's in front of Cato who picked up the sword and stood in front of him. _

"_This is for Clove!" he screamed as he hacked Thres' head off and the cannon blast rang out. _

_Flashback Ends_

* * *

So now Cato sat in the depressing silence of his new home. He was depressed. Without Clove all the riches seemed empty and pointless. He would give anything to still be in the arena with her than out of it without her.

Cato finally realized that victory in the games, was not the greatness he was promised, it was very bitter sweet.


End file.
